Educational Science

Zero chance of potential city-killer asteroid 'Apophis' smashing into Earth in 2029, new study confirms

There is almost zero chance that the infamous city-killer asteroid Apophis will hit Earth when it zips closely past our planet in 2029 — even when a previously unconsidered factor is taken into account, a new study shows. Apophis is a peanut-shaped space rock spanning around 1,100 feet (340 meters)...

Whale of a Record: 306 Humpbacks Spotted Near Antarctica

A record-breaking crowd of humpback whales has been seen in chilly waters near Antarctica, giving researchers a unique opportunity to study the colossal creatures — not to mention a few thrills. However, scientists warn the unprecedented whale numbers, drawn to the region for all-night feasting on their favored prey, may...

Water molecules have been detected on the surface of an asteroid for the first time, revealing new clues about the distribution of water in our solar system. Scientists studied four silicate-rich asteroids using data gathered by the now-retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a telescope-outfitted plane operated by NASA...

NASA's asteroid-slamming DART mission completely changed the shape of its target

Scientists have discovered that the target asteroid of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) may have been reshaped by the impact. A new investigation into the collision's aftermath revealed that the asteroid, which is the smaller component of a binary asteroid system, exhibits a loose rubble-pile composition. DART slammed into...

The Geminid meteors may be 10 times older than we thought, simulations of oddball asteroid Phaethon suggest

The rocks making up the Geminid meteor shower that occurs towards the end of every year may have been born through a chaotic event 18,000 years ago, a new study suggests — potentially making the meteoroids about 10 times older than previously estimated. The Geminid shower is named after the...

Amazing Navigation Skills Seen in Humpback Whales

The giants that migrate farther than any other mammal on Earth, humpback whales, do so with mysterious, extraordinary accuracy, veering off course by less than 1 degree over hundreds of miles, scientists find. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) regularly swim roughly 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) between breeding and feeding grounds. However,...

In Photos: Tracking Humpback Whales

Whale Tag (Image credit: Greenpeace/Paul Hilton)The Cook Islands whale research team tags a humpback whale as it surfaces off the island of Rarotonga. The whales are being tagged as part of The Great Whale Trail. The project is a collaboration between Greenpeace and Nan Hauser, who studies humpback whales in...

'The law is way behind the time': Mining asteroids and the moon remains a huge legal gray area

Mining the moon and asteroids could be worth trillions upon trillions of dollars, and several companies have popped up with that mission in mind. But is space mining technically legal? For asteroids, the answer is probably yes, but for the moon, it's complicated, experts say. In 1967, 110 countries, including...

NASA grabbed a whopping 120 grams of rubble from asteroid Bennu, and it may contain the seeds of life

NASA scientists have finally tallied how much material a spacecraftsnatched from a distant potentially hazardous asteroid, and it turns out they've got more than double what they expected. The sample — roughly 4.3 ounces (122 grams) of rocky space rubble that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected from the asteroid Bennu —...